Advice please

[Stunrunthru]

This season, in the league I have played 10 frames of which I have lost 7 including the last 5 in a row.

I have played one frame this season in which I was happy with my game and that was when I beat arguably the best player in our league.

Of the games that I have lost, around 5 of these have been lost with just blue, pink and black left against players I would expect to beat.

I am not practising much - only around 1-2 hours a week on a Saturday. In practice I am hitting the ball well and last week had a 68 break on the match table at the club on which some players struggle to score 20.

In matches I feel very relaxed but as my record suggests I am losing too many with just last 3 colours left.

It has not become a psychologiocal problem and we now have 4 week break from league matches and I am confident I will be back in good form after the break.

What is going wrong? any ideas??

[Andy911]

I think a lot of players forget the safety aspect of the game toward the end of a frame.
If you are a better potter than say your opponent you sometimes feel the urge to
go for a silly shot and this can lose you the frame.

Defence is sometimes the best form of attack

Look back at your defeats and ask yourself was this the case

[Mellow Yellow]

This would be my suggestion, perhaps just knocking a ball safe and waiting for an easier chance?

probably just a mentality thing though if its the same scenario in most games.

I would think it is just a matter of time before you get your confidence back.

[bongo]

The advice already here is fine, if you put your opponent in difficulty, then why should he beat you.

Difficulty through putting him safe and you break building and potting.

[kevy62]

This season, in the league I have played 10 frames of which I have lost 7 including the last 5 in a row.

I have played one frame this season in which I was happy with my game and that was when I beat arguably the best player in our league.

Of the games that I have lost, around 5 of these have been lost with just blue, pink and black left against players I would expect to beat.

I am not practising much - only around 1-2 hours a week on a Saturday. In practice I am hitting the ball well and last week had a 68 break on the match table at the club on which some players struggle to score 20.

In matches I feel very relaxed but as my record suggests I am losing too many with just last 3 colours left.

It has not become a psychologiocal problem and we now have 4 week break from league matches and I am confident I will be back in good form after the break.

What is going wrong? any ideas??

hi there, from the sound of things you seem to expect to be beating your opponents? this could be caused by over confidence ? usually because you are playing well in practice, then not finding form during a match frame. You obviously have some skills, but are perhaps pre-judging your opponents,this is leading you into a situation where you miss the pot & let your opponent in. Even if they fail to score heavily against you , you have failed to close them out, answer ?

play "snooker" & not "first to pot wins" ! play the right shot every time, score heavily when the chances come up, but don't force the issue & never pre-judge your rival & keep your consentration & form throughout the frame.

Your question about the colours? these are so much easier to play, due to only needing to play one ball position, that is why they seem to catch up & win. I'm sure you will be well ahead before even reaching the colours in future , if you knuckle down to it & play the balls & not your opponent. good luck

[Watford]

I find I play much better against good players and feel under much more pressure and cock up against people I think I should beat.
It's not overconfidence at all quite the opposite. It fear of losing to lesser players.
Is that how you feel stun?

[poolqjunkie]

Yes, that is so true. I sometimes find myself building myself as a favorite in my mind before a match and it has cost me. Usually, when I have a certain idea about how a player "should" play against me I would expect certain mistake from them-when they started to play better than expected, it threw me off. So, now I try to treat everyone like my worst enemy and try to keep them from scoring at all at all cost. I am also working a lot on my snooker and safe now. The more I play with better player, the more I have realized that good safties is very important.
I have lost frames on the last three or even two colors. It is easy for your opponent to catch up with 18 points on the table and only three balls to pot. If they are on the spots then it is even easier. So, you need to be extra careful. I have lost so many frame when I relaxed too much mentally at the last stage expecting to win too early so to speak.

[ste bed]

i think thats the same for everyone you always play better against a good player i think there are a couple of reasons for this. 1 you try harder so you dont get hammered.2 when theirs two good players playing the colours stay on or around there spots if your playing a bad player they always try to put the big colours safe and it makes getting breaks alot harder. which can make it very hard to win a league match especially if your giving a big handicap and it 1 frame wins and 3 you never know what a crap player will do position wise as where a good player misses a pot and his position is good you will almost be certain of an easy opener with a bad player even he doesnt know where the white will end up.

we have a player on my team who is very good a regular 100 break player and when he loses a league game he always says he potted everything and i always say yes but when you miss you leave him an easy chance because your position is very good it leaves him with an easy opener every time couple that with the 50/60 start he gives most weeks hes got to play his best every week .

as you said stunrunthru your not practising that much and i have seen that you have an high break of 139 so you must be a very good player . maybe the problem is simple not enough practice and you have just lost your edge.

[Rane]

In practice I am hitting the ball well
What is going wrong? any ideas??

You have got the Jimmy White syndrome

No to be serious I haven´t got more to add than already has been done.

[tinytim139]

i too do exactly the same its frustrating, just got back from pool match (singles league) drew with arguably one of the best pool players in the midlands and straight after drew with somebody i expect to beat 99% of the time.
Its all a matter of frame of mind and to me the hardest aspect of a cuesport is the mental side of it. Strange game hey all i get told is play the table not the player but can never seem to do it.

[Stunrunthru]

Cheers chaps.

Pool junkie - I liked your comment about treating all of your opponents like your worst enemy.

I will let you know how things progress after the season starts again.

Have good xmas and new year everyone.

kind regards

[RocketRoy1983]

i too do exactly the same its frustrating, just got back from pool match (singles league) drew with arguably one of the best pool players in the midlands and straight after drew with somebody i expect to beat 99% of the time.
Its all a matter of frame of mind and to me the hardest aspect of a cuesport is the mental side of it. Strange game hey all i get told is play the table not the player but can never seem to do it.

You are not alone as there are indeed thousands in the same boat. Just keep playing through this, concentrate just as hard in matches against players of lesser ability as you do against better opponents and more importaqntly against such lesser players in 1 frame matches DO NOT GIVE AWAY SILLY FOULS as these add up and will go againjst you.

[DandyA]

i too do exactly the same its frustrating, just got back from pool match (singles league) drew with arguably one of the best pool players in the midlands and straight after drew with somebody i expect to beat 99% of the time.
Its all a matter of frame of mind and to me the hardest aspect of a cuesport is the mental side of it. Strange game hey all i get told is play the table not the player but can never seem to do it.

I hear what you're saying tinytim but I have to ask ... how did you manage to "draw" ... obviously, it's impossible in a single frame of snooker or english 8-ball pool (and I think american 9-ball although I don't play it) ... and it's also impossible in a match cos they'll always be played to an odd number of frames (best of 3/5/7/9 or whatever) ...

So I guess it must have been a friendly game but I'm not sure ...

[tinytim139]

Its a league format best of 8 play everybody once 3 for a win and 1 for a draw. Quite good really £60 to enter 24 matches and get free table every wednesday from 6 till closing really good value

[ste bed]

so its £60 per player to enter everybody plays everyone once best of 8. so there are no teams just individual matches right. how many people enter.